All posts tagged David Lehman

One of the most widely-recorded Christmas song of all time — “White Christmas” — was written by a Jewish songwriter who lived in Beverly Hills. Irving Berlin is one of the many artists David Lehman profiles in his book “A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs” (Nextbook), which makes a convincing argument that the Great American Songbook is largely the work of, and heavily influenced by, Jews.

Laying out his case with the rhetorical brio of a trial attorney, Lehman at one point ticks off a list of standards: “Blue Skies,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “I Got Rhythm,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Tea For Two,” “Love Me or Leave Me,” “All the Things You Are,” “Over the Rainbow” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Lehman writes: “Only one song of the ten I just mentioned was entirely the work of a non-Jew, and he acknowledged that he was ‘writing Jewish.’”

The reference is to Cole Porter, who used to joke with Berlin that he would’ve been an even better songwriter if he were a Jew. “Richard Rodgers often said all you have to do is hum the melody from ‘Night and Day’ or ‘Begin the Beguine’ and you would hear how Judaic these songs are,” Lehman said of two Porter classics. “What he means by that is they are minor key.” Lehman cites other ways in which standards from the era contain a Jewish sensibility, like how the Yiddish slang word “nogoodnik” appears in a lyric from the musical “Guys and Dolls.”

Lehman’s thesis will serve as inspiration for a concert tomorrow night at Lincoln Center, as part of the American Songbook series. Read More »

Two weeks ago, actress and singer Patti LuPone grabbed a cell phone out of the hand of an audience member who was texting during a performance of her current play, "Shows for Days." The bold move led to an outpouring of support from fans fed up with glowing screens. Ms. LuPone gives us her five rules of theater etiquette.